72 
exhaustive history of the “ Birds of Norfolk ; ” but in only one 
of these (C. & J. Paget’s “ Natural History of Yarmouth and its 
Neighbourhood ”) has the plan included a general list of the 
several departments into which the animal and vegetable kingdoms 
are divided ; and this exception a^Dplies but to a limited district — 
added to which the constant changes which are taking place in the 
physical features of the County involve corresponding changes in 
its Fauna and Flora, and render frequent revisions necessary. 
This want, a Committee of the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists’ 
Society, assisted by many gentlemen resident in the County, are 
endeavouring to supply, and I have now the pleasure of submitting 
to the Society the portion which has been committed to my care, 
viz., the Mammalia and Eeptilia ; this will be followed from time 
to time by the remaining portions for ijublication in their trans- 
actions. 
In a highly cultivated County like Norfolk, where those animals 
not actually domesticated, or preserved by the sportsman, are re- 
garded as “ vermin” and ruthlessly destroyed whenever opportunity 
occurs, it is not to be expected that a great number of species will 
be found ; but even the quiet which is maintained in our woods 
and coverts during the breeding season is favourable to the increase 
of some species, and the large tracts of reed-beds in the “ Broad 
Districts,” and on the margins of our sluggish rivers, afford pro- 
tection and abundance of food for others, particularly for the Otter, 
which is perhaps more frequent than from its retiring habits and 
stealthy movements is generally supposed. There are two families, 
however, which are particularly worthy of attention — viz., the 
Cheiroptera and Cetacea ; of the former, fifteen species are described 
as British by Bell, but we are only able to record five as occurring 
in this County. Our extended coast line, the most easterly sea-board 
of the island, has produced only eight well-authenticated species of 
the Cetacea out of a total of thirty described as British, by Dr. Gray ; 
and although the majority of the species are of great rarity, it is pro- 
bable the number recorded as belonging to Norfolk might be in- 
creased, and light thrown upon this interesting but obscure order, 
were those which occasionally come on shore, or get entangled in the 
shallows off our coast, more carefully examined. The reptiles do 
not receive the attention to which their great beauty and interesting 
